What principles do Jewish people live by?



The following Ten Principles establish that Jews should believe in Judaism because they believe in these fundamental ideals:

  1. Judaism teaches us that all human beings are created in the divine image and therefore are linked to God by the Divine Spark within them.
  2. Judaism teaches us how to nurture the Divine Spark within us, elevating us in moral worth and dignity and linking us to The Divine.
  3. Judaism rejects intermediaries. It is never the responsibility of any one individual to determine and define our lives. We can learn from a great many individuals, from prophets and sages to ordinary people.
  4. Judaism teaches us that the revelations of God cannot be limited to one document, person or time. Life, knowledge and reality are alive and changing. Therefore, Judaism cannot be bound by any particular text without the possibility of modification. The improved status of women today is one result of this perspective.
  5. Judaism teaches us that ritual without ethics is not only fruitless, but idolatrous and anti-religious. Ritual serves the purpose of implementing and embodying the ethical and spiritual dimensions of Judaism. Ritual should never be a substitute for ethics or charitable acts.
  6. Judaism teaches us that the world is a work in progress. Judaism is a call to creativity — a call to make ourselves, our society and the world into something better.
  7. Judaism deeply values the search for truth. It is a religion of strong ideals and ethical and spiritual principles.
  8. Judaism teaches us that the severest consequence of evil doing is that it separates one from God. Such isolation not only becomes a spiritual death, but it ultimately destroys one’s creative potential.
  9. Judaism teaches us the importance of embodying democratic values and stresses the significance of education towards fulfilling our mission.
  10. Judaism teaches us to fulfill our obligations and our promise as a people. It compels us to see the world with all its faults and teaches us that its evils and injustices are a call to make the world a better place and to engage in charitable acts of loving kindness.

What are the sacred texts of the Jewish people?

The Tenakh is the ancient collection of writings that are sacred to the Jews. They were written over almost a thousand years from 1000 to 100 BCE. The word Tenakh comes from the three first letters of the three books included in this text: the Torah, plus the Nev’im (prophets) and the Ki’tuvim (writings, which include histories, prophecies, poems, hymns and sayings).

The Torah is written on scrolls and kept in a special cabinet called the aron hakodish, the holy ark, in synagogues. The Torah is read with a pointer called a yad (hand) to keep it from being spoiled. Each week, one section is read until the entire Torah is completed and the reading begins again.

The Talmud is also an important collection of Jewish writings. Written about 2000 years ago, it is a recording of the rabbis’ discussion of the way to follow the Torah at that time. Later texts, the Mishnah Torah and the Shulhan Aruch, are recordings of rabbinic discussions from later periods.

This website is a tool you can use to add meaning to your life events. We aim to build a new sense of how to be “at home” in Jewish life. You can build a better life using these spiritual tools. This website offers you the opportunity to glean from traditional and modern sources: prayers, poems, songs, texts and psalms. Whether you are preparing to offer a toast, leading a service, or writing a letter, we invite you to use this website to enhance your words and inspire your community.

To know more visit: https://jewishdoorways.org/


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